Anti-friction bearings serve to decrease friction between, for example, a stator and a rotor. For instance, such bearings may allow relative rotation between the housing and a shaft, spindle or axle extending therethrough. The bearings may comprise roller bearings, for example, tapered roller bearings. In one example, the tapered roller bearings may be employed in wheel hub and axle assemblies. In another example, the tapered roller bearings may be employed in devices such as motors, pumps, or speed reducers.
A typical tapered roller bearing includes a cone having an inner race for mounting on a spindle, a cup having an outer race for mounting in a housing, and a plurality of roller elements within a roller cage positioned between the inner and outer races. Commonly, a pair of such tapered roller bearings are mounted on a shaft for rotation relative to or within a housing. Cooperating bearings, such as a pair of tapered roller bearings, may be included in a bearing assembly, of a motor, pump, speed reducer or transmission assembly.
In order to properly secure bearings in motor, pump, speed reducer, and/or transmission assemblies, it is necessary to retain the bearings tightly under a pre-determined axial tolerance or load on the shaft or axle, so that they will maintain the proper running clearance of the roller elements under the influence of the combined axial and radial forces which they are designed to support. It is often the practice of manufacturers of such assemblies to carefully measure the space between the bearing inner races, and provide a spacer of precisely the correct dimension and load requirements to fit therebetween. The spacer is often made of ground steel tubing to a length tolerance of plus or minus one half of one thousandths of an inch. If the bearings are not maintained at a proper tolerance and/or load the bearings may not roll properly or may prematurely wear, particularly if the bearings are maintained at too high of a load, or may, if maintained under too low of a load, have excessive play causing failure of the bearings.
Certain assemblies including pumps, motors, reducer shafts, bevel gear or worm gear transmission, and other types of transmissions may employ an adjustable spacer or load ring which is typically fitted by means of loading without the assembly. The adjustable spacer may then be mounted, after it has been crushed to a preselected distance, on the bearing assembly. In assemblies which are subject to high loading during service, it may be required that the spacer have a very high capacity to resist being deformed. It may also be desirable to crush or size the adjustable spacer while mounted or on, a partially or fully assembled bearing assembly. In such situations the spacers are typically crushed on the assemblies but the axial load is transmitted through the spacer onto the bearings.
Thus, a need exists for improving ease, accuracy, performance and control of adjustment to an adjustable spacer employed with a bearing assembly of, for example, a pump, motor, or transmission. A need also exists for decreasing dimensional measurements required to properly prepare a spacer and bearing assembly. An additional need exists for a configuration allowing adjustment to an adjustable spacer of a partially or fully assembled bearing assembly of a pump, motor or transmission. A further need exists for providing such adjustment without transmitting the axial load through the bearings prior to final assembly.